


The Right Choice

by LionsHeart



Category: Hollyoaks
Genre: Break Up, Family Drama, Happy Ending for Jarry, I don't know how to tag this, Jarry, Left at the Altar, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 13:19:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16219880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LionsHeart/pseuds/LionsHeart
Summary: The wedding is underway and Harry realizes that he just can't do it, so he runs but is confronted by Ste. Harry finally gives him a piece of his mind.





	The Right Choice

**Author's Note:**

> I got this prompt a while ago and I finally got the chance to write it. I hope it lives up to the expectations of whoever requested it. I apologize for the delay. Have fun <3

The music was loud and the vibrant orange all around him was blinding him. He walked up the aisle with his father, towards Ste and Scott. Harry felt like he wasn't even really there. It was like a maschine took over his body, he couldn't hear what Ste said when they reached him and he didn't even notice Tony sitting down in the first row. This was wrong. All of this was so damn wrong.  
“I can't do this.” Harry said, almost stumbling over the words.  
“What?!” The smile on Ste's face dropped in milliseconds.  
“This isn't right. I can't do this.” He turned around to Tony and Diane. “I'm so sorry but I can't.” Then he ran back down the aisle, he didn't even know where he wanted to go or where he could possibly escape to right now but he needed to leave. He didn't get far before he Ste caught up with him.

“Harry! Stop! What the hell is going on? Harry I said stop!” he yelled. He grabbed Harry's arm and violently yanked him around.  
“What the fuck do you think you're doing?” Ste demanded.  
Harry was speechless for a second. Ste's aggressive side didn't surprise him in the slightest but having the man all up in his face spitting the words at him still had him frightened.  
“Answer me!” Ste pushed him and Harry stumbled back a few steps. 

“I don't want to marry you.” Harry's voice was completely calm and he didn't avoid Ste's furious stare.  
“What do you mean you don't want to marry me? Of course you do! This is everything you ever wanted!” Ste shouted.  
“No it isn't!” Harry gave back. “This is not what I want, I want none of this.”  
“This is nonsense! You are just scared. Let's go back there and do this. Our families are waiting for us. Don't do anything you're gonna regret now Harry.”  
“Believe me, I am not going to regret this. I'm not confused. Ste. I don't want to marry you.”  
Ste's eyes got bigger and bigger and Harry could see that his words had finally hit home.  
“B...but why? It is because of DeeDee, isn't it?” Ste asked frantically “You are just not in the headspace and you wanted her to be here, right? We can so that! We can fix that, we…”

“No Ste!” Harry interrupted. “It's not because of her.”  
“You felt left out of the preparation? You don't like the decoration and it's not like you imagined, is that it?”  
Harry sighed and hung his head in resignation. “No. That's not it at all. Listen, I really don't think we should do this right now.”  
“You are gonna tell me what the problem is right now. I'm not going anywhere until you finally spit it out!”  
This was it. This was the moment when he could try to save this mess or dive right into the uncertainty that the truth would bring along with it. Harry could feel the freedom at the tips of his fingers and finally he knew that this was not the way to make his family happy. His own misery could not be the answer. So he chose.  
“Fine. I don't want to marry you because I don't love you anymore. This relationship ended many months ago for me. It's over Ste. We are over.”  
Ste's mouth dropped open, he began shaking his head in disbelief. “No, no, no.” he mumbled. “You don't know what you’re saying. You are just confused. We have been planning this for months...I mean our families are all there for us. This is not over.”  
Frustrated, Harry turned around and walked a few steps away from him. He just couldn't believe it. Even when there was nobody else around and he was being finally open and honest about his feelings, Ste still didn't listen to a single word he was saying. Flat out denial was all he got in return. Harry wanted to scream and run further away from this man who had him trapped in this mess of a relationship for years.

“Listen to me very carefully.” Harry said slowly when he was able to look at Ste again. “You and I are done. We are not going to get married.”  
“How can you say that? That's utter rubbish.” Ste raised his voice again and Harry could see redness crawl up his neck.  
“No it isn't. It's just the truth.”  
“You can't break up with me. After everything that I have done for you!”  
Harry couldn't help but let out a short sarcastic laugh. “And that is what exactly? What did you ever really do or give for me?”  
“You ungrateful little shit.” Ste spit and mad a few threatening steps in Harry's direction. If he was gonna punch him, Harry was sure as hell going to hit back. He had had enough.

“Me ungrateful? What am I supposed to be grateful for Ste?” He could feel all the things he had always wanted to get off of his chest building up inside him and he knew that this was the moment to finally get them all out. If he didn't do it now, than he would probably never be strong enough to do it.  
“All I had to do was give for this relationship and I never got anything back in return. I gave up my friends, Uni, football and basically my entire life just to have more time to look after you and your kids. I had to live on the street and I started selling my own body just to have enough money for us. I tried to be some kind of father to your children even tho they have never seen me as a parent.  
I fought to get you off drugs, I didn't leave you when you hit me or when you went to jail and I even forgave you when you said you'd throw our relationship away for the slightest chance of being with your ex-husband.  
You tried to kick me out of my own home and you went on some crazy jealousy rant about how I am not allowed to talk to James even tho he was the only friend I had left. Honestly, I also lost my own father to you. Not that he was ever much to talk of but now he always takes your side and he cares even less about what I am feeling than he did before.  
This relationship has drained me of everything that made my life good. I have changed and you are too blind and self absorbed to see it! I'm not that 17 year old kid anymore that you fell in love with! All of the crap that I had to go through changed me forever and I don't want to be that naive boy anymore. You don't see me. You never have. You are clinging to this fantasy of us and you refuse to live in reality.”

He could hear at least two people running towards them and he had a very good idea of who that would but he needed to get this out before his father could manipulate him again into something he didn't want. “I went along with this wedding because I wanted my family to have at least one shot at happiness. God, I really wanted to call it off weeks ago but the thought of finally being accepted by this family and by my father was too strong.”  
Just as he suspected, Tony and Diane came up to them. They both looked confused, breathless and furious. Tony put one hand on Ste's shoulder as if he expected him to jump on Harry any given second. Of course they stood by Ste's side.

“Harry what is going on?” Tony demanded.  
Harry was just about to open his mouth when Ste said “He called it off. He just broke up with me.”  
It stayed silent for a couple of moments and Harry was just thinking that this went over way smoother than he ever thought it would when he suddenly felt a mind numbing pain as Ste's fist hit his temple. Harry stubbled backwards, trying to catch his balance while the black spots clouded his vision.  
“You immature lying bastard!” he could hear Ste scream. He didn't hit him again, so Harry assumed that Tony and Diane were holding him back. “I forgave you for whoring yourself out and I didn't even report you to the police when I thought you killed the mother of my children. Nobody would have taken you back when you came begging but I did.”  
Harry was finally able to open his eyes again, as the pain slowly faded away.  
“No.” he hissed. “You didn't report me but you just went on to call the next best man who was willing to screw you your new soulmate and the love of your life. Too bad that he was actually the killer, right? And you know why you took me back? Because you not able to be by yourself. You always need somebody in your life that you can live off of.”  
“That's enough! Shut up Harry. Haven't you done enough.” Tony barked. 

There it was again. He knew that he shouldn't have expected anything else. Of course his dear father would take Ste's side over his. At least he was staying true to form.  
“And you, back off! This is a family matter.” For a moment Harry was confused who Diane meant when she spoke in his direction but than he noticed that she was eyeing somebody who must be standing a couple of feet behind him. Harry turned his head and what he saw made his heart skip a beat. James.

There he was, arms crossed, one hand was still holding his keys since he probably just walked outside to check on who was making all the noise. The expression on his face was concerned and his eyes were fixated on Harry and not on the three people who were now all screaming at him to get lost.  
Harry whispered his name and as if a magnetic force had took power over him, he spun around and ran right into his lovers arms. He hugged him so tightly like he tried to melt their bodies together. Without hesitation James returned to hug and bowed down so Harry didn't have to stand on his toes anymore. Harry buried his face in James’ shoulder and breathed in his smell. He was amazed at how he could find so much comfort in the midst of all this insanity. One of James’ hands was slowly stroking his hair and the other one was pressed against his back, pulling Harry even closer into James’ warmth. 

“I'm so sorry.” Harry whispered. He didn't want to cry but he could feel his mouth going dry and his eyes itching when a million things went through his head. He need James to hear every single one of them but he had no idea where to start.  
“It's okay. Harry, everything is going to be okay.” His voice was so calm and reassuring that Harry pressed a kiss to his neck as a small thank you.

“Get away from him!” Ste's voice brought them back. “Stop fucking touching him.”  
Harry let go of James and turned around, without stepping even an inch away from his lover. He reached out and offered James his hand. James hesitated but he took Harry's hand and began brushing his thumb over Harry's palm to calm him down.  
Harry looked at his father, then Ste, then Diane. They all had the same look of shock and outrage on their faces as they seemingly looked for words to throw in his direction.  
Tony was the first to regain his voice “Whatever this little stunt is supposed to be Harry it isn't funny. You heard Ste. Get away from that man. He has done enough to hurt this family.”  
“You still don't get it, do you?” Harry asked. How could they all be so blind? “I love him.”

“Love?” Ste let out a dry laugh. “You don't know what love his. Neither of you do. You think you love this vindictive old disgusting snake?”  
“No. I know that I love this unpredictable, funny, intelligent, loving man who has always stood by me and has always loved me when everyone else in my life has let me down.” Harry felt James grip on his hand tighten. He wasn't going to let them bad mouth James any longer.  
“Harry, son. Come to your senses. I don't know what James promised you, you know...money or something but…” Tony babbled.  
“Money?” James pressed out between gridded teeth. But Harry gave him a look and James didn't finish his responds. This was something Harry had to handle by himself.  
“You see, dad.” Harry tried to imitate the tone Tony put on when he talked to Harry as if he was 10. “He didn't offer me money. All he offered me was real love. You wouldn't understand that.”  
“So is he back to pimping you out than?” The disgust in Ste's voice was audible.  
“No need. I have nothing to punish myself for anymore.” Having James next to him gave him such confidence. It took all the fear away. 

“Harry.” Diane obviously tried to seem calm and reasonable but to Harry she just sounded like he was a 5 year old who was acting out just for the sake of it. “You know how much this wedding means to us, how much it means to DeeDee. What are we going to tell her if you just suddenly decide to run away with...that.”  
“You can tell her this: I wanted to go through with this just to make all of you happy but I realized that I can't spend the rest of my life living a lie. When I get married than I want to marry a man that truly makes my life better. I want my life back!” He turned to James. “I am so sorry that it took me this long to finally realize that. You were right. You were always right.”  
James gave him a big smile. “Shall we go?” he asked with a playful grin.  
Harry took a deep breath. “We shall.” and he walked down the street, holding the hand of the one man who truly knew and loved him. Everything was going to get so much more complicated now but he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. He saw the freedom that he has craved for so long. No matter what hurtel they would encounter on the way, Harry knew that he finally made the right choice.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so so much for reading. Pretty please leave your thoughts down below.


End file.
